How to Propagate a Red Apple Ice Plant from Stem Cuttings

The succulent Red Apple ice plant (Aptenia cordifolia 'Red Apple') originated in southern Africa. In the United States, this evergreen thrives in U.S. Department of Agriculture hardiness zones 9 to 12. The plant is delicate-looking, measuring no more than 3 inches in height. Its stems creep along the ground until the mat of fleshy, hairy green leaves are about 2 feet wide. This ice plant cultivar's name comes from the bright red flowers that bloom spring to summer. Ice plants propagate from seeds and also from stem cuttings.

Shears
Paper towel sheet
Cacti potting mix
Flat with drainage holes
4-inch planter

Instructions

- 1
  Cut a 4-inch stem when the plant is actively growing. Remove the lower leaves and retain one or two at the tip.
- 2
  Place the stem on a sheet of paper towel. Put the towel on a counter away from direct sunlight. Leave the Red Apple cutting in that spot to dry for three or four days.
- 3
  Buy potting soil formulated for cacti or mix three parts potting mix, one part sand and one part perlite for the rooting medium.
- 4
  Fill a flat with the potting mix. Irrigate the soil until water flows out of the drainage holes and the surface becomes evenly moist.
- 5
  Make a hole in the potting mix with your pinky finger or a pencil. Insert the cut end of the stem into the soil. Firm it around the base of the cutting to keep the stem in place.
- 6
  Move the flat to indirect sunlight. Irrigate the potting mix only when the soil is mostly dry to prevent rot.
- 7
  Pull the sand away from the base of the cutting once a week to look for roots. Transplant the cutting to a 4-inch planter when it develops two or three ½-inch-long roots.

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